Synthesis of urchin-like rutile titania carbon nanocomposites by iron-facilitated phase transformation of MXene for environmental remediation

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 489 - 499
• Main Authors: Zou, Guodong, Guo, Jianxin, Peng, Qiuming, Zhou, Aiguo, Zhang, Qingrui, Liu, Baozhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2016
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/C5TA07343J

Self-assembling has been confirmed as an effective pathway to achieve some unique properties. The recently developed two-dimensional transition metal carbides (termed MXene) provide more potential opportunities to modify the surfaces of layered materials relative to simple graphene. Here we describe a one-step method for preparing an urchin-like rutile TiO 2 –C (u-RTC) nano-composite with a high amount of (110) facets by in situ phase transformation of MXene (Ti 3 C 2 (OH) 0.8 F 1.2 ) under FeCl 3 conditions. A layered anatase TiO 2 –C (l-ATC) nano-composite with a high percentage of (001) facets first forms, and then it changes into u-RTC due to the Fe( iii ) ion induction. The u-RTC displays a high Cr( vi ) adsorption capacity of ∼225 mg g −1 , which is higher than that of the primitive MXene (∼62 mg g −1 ) and the l-ATC precursor (∼11 mg g −1 ), owing to the inhibition of H 2 O molecule adsorption by bridging oxo groups in terms of the first principles calculations. Apart from the fact that the finding leads to a desirable aligned oxide-carbon material, this approach may set up a new trajectory to self-assemble functional surfaces of other MXene derivatives.